Nawaz Sharif & Daughter Maryam to Be Arrested at Abu Dhabi Airport & Taken to Pakistan; Flights to Islamabad Diverted to Lahore Airport

Islamabad, July 13: Former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz had an emotional meeting with former finance minister Ishaq Dar in London before leaving for Pakistan. According to an ANI report, the father-daughter duo will be arrested by a special NAB team at Abu Dhabi Airport later this morning. They will stay at the Airport for 7 hours and will reach Lahore at around 6:15 pm. There they will be kept at Adiala jail for one day, and would be transferred to the notorious Attock Fort after that.

As per an NDTV report, ahead of Sharif's return, Pakistan's media regulator ordered television channels to stop live telecast of briefings of political leaders containing "defamatory and derogatory content". The order is believed to be an effort to ensure that Nawaz Sharif wasn't able to turn public opinion in his favour ahead of the July 25 general election.

Flights that were to arrive at Islamabad airport this morning have been diverted to Lahore airport because of Nawaz and Maryam's arrival in Pakistan.

Flights that were to arrive at Islamabad airport this morning have been diverted to Lahore airport. Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and daughter Maryam Nawaz are expected to arrive today, put under arrest & taken to jail under heavy security (picture from passenger) pic.twitter.com/qMSOPmJdwA

On Thursday, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Maryam Nawaz Sharif tweeted saying,"Told my kids to be brave in the face of oppression. But kids will still be kids. Goodbyes are hard, even for the grownups."She will be arrested by NAB at UAE's Abu Dhabi Airport later this morning. Mother of Pakistan's ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Shamim Akhtarexpressed happiness over the return of her son to Pakistan, but said that if Nawaz, Maryam & Safdar are sent to jail, then she would accompany them too.

On July 6, Nawaz was sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment, and a fine of eight million pounds was slapped on him in the Avenfield Reference case. Maryam was sentenced to seven years of jail and fined two million pounds, by the Accountability Court.